HOUSTON — With her newly adopted son napping in the other room, Wendy Bethancourt said she is already planning for baby No. 2.

But whether she and her husband spend another $20,000-plus to adopt a newborn through a private agency or whether they turn to the more-affordable foster-care system will depend largely on the recession.

Like almost every aspect of life, adoption appears to be feeling the pinch of the financial downturn. With jobs in jeopardy, some families are shying away from international and private domestic adoptions, which can cost upward of $30,000.

So far, adoptions of children in state custody seem to be steady, if not growing, as couples search for affordable ways to grow their families.

Some agencies also are reporting an influx of birth mothers choosing to have their child adopted.

Adam Pertman, executive director of the New York-based Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, said it is too early to determine the scope of the impact.

“To really see a trend, you need to give it a little time,” he said. “What we’re seeing now may be a blip.”

However, Mardie Caldwell, a noted author and founder of the California-based Lifetime Adoption Facilitation Center, said she has no doubt that more mothers have decided to give up their babies since the stock market started declining last fall.

The number of birth mothers planning to put their babies up for adoption through Lifetime has tripled to 378, she said.

The good news is that there hasn’t been a decrease in families adopting through the agency, Caldwell said. Lifetime has, however, added payment plan options to help families afford adoption.

“We’re not seeing a decrease in families trying to get in,” she said. “They’re just trying to get more creative.”

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